Aernas
by Lady Lunevis
Summary: It was only a game, only a game they had told each other. And yet, how did everything go so wrong? How did their childish innocence shatter so easily in the hands of the world? And in the darkest moments, they had wished for the game, to go back to those days where everything was okay again. Yet, if only they knew that the days of peacefulness were over, to be replaced by tears.


_Hello readers~!_

_While I realize this is not the time to start a new story, I really felt the need to work on this one idea I had after reading a fanfiction much like this._

_So this is a modern AU, but the world of Aernas, as well as the characters and the real Grand Chase, still somewhat exist. You'll see what I mean if you keep reading!_

_And, if you're used to reading my stories: Yes, this is categorized angst, yes, almost everyone dies. Happy reading, and I hope this touches on your feels somewhat!_

_This story includes Edel, who I hope I did a good enough job of working with! Also, the demons are all made human, but demon in the Game, so don't worry!_

* * *

Chapter One

_Justice, while she winks on crimes, stumbles on innocence._

No one had known her name.

Had anyone bothered to care?

All Elesis Sieghart knew was that she'd been one of her cousin's distant aunts, a half-crazed lady that spent her waking days working, working endlessly until they'd found her on her bed, with the glue still upon her fingertips and the game layered in her lap. There was still one corner unfinished, but no one had paid any heed. Her cousin, who had been twelve at the time—Ercnard, was his name, but everyone called him Sieghart—had given her the gift due to childish innocence, and a curiousity to play.

Oh, how innocent, how wondering, and how _wrong _they had been.

Elesis called her friends over: graceful Lire Eryuell that lived a block away, short Arme Glenstid that was a daughter of a Serdin official, adoring Amy Aruha, who loved to dance and was always daydreaming about a career as a famous popstar, mysterious Mari Ming Onette, whose family had burned away in a tragic housefire when she had been but a babe, and now the Siegharts fostered her since they had more than enough money. With Mari tagged along Rin Gaon, a strange girl with the clearest blue eyes that had moved in not a few weeks ago, but Elesis had befriended instantly, just as she always did.

On Sieghart's side came his friends: Lass Isolet, a quiet boy that preferred to think rather than speak, as well as his brother, Rufus Wilde. Their family was complicated, to say the least, and nothing Elesis was interested in. And of course, because Rufus came, came his gang, composed of all troubled youths thad had nothing to do but hang around and mock people that walked by. Dio Burning Canyon came from a family that was rich and wealthy, yet neglected their only son and treated him as nothing more than an object that would inherit all their cash after they'd passed. His girlfriend—why Dio would date at such a young age was beyond Elesis—Ley von Crimson River was spoiled, bratty, and beautiful, meaning she could get away with anything. She and Dio were not happy; often times Ley bullied Dio into doing things for her, but, hey, their parents seemed to like it, so Dio kept up with this.

Dio's only friend was the quiet and solemn ZeroZephyrum, who had never known his parents and grew up with a grandpa named Oz. The two seemed to get along fairly enough, even if Zero never talked and Dio was _always_ talking.

Amy's boyfriend, Jin Kaien, school supermodel and dreamheart, had also come along, and with him came his idiot friends: Ronan Eurdon, who considered himself a gentleman at the age of nine and frequently wanted to court Elesis, to which she replied with a small snort and shoved him away. Ryan Woodsguard came along as well, dressed in his strange clothes and even stranger hairstyle. No one knew much about Ryan except the fact his family was absolutely crazy; they didn't have lighting nor running water, lived in a cabin, and preached about nature to anyone who would listen. Still, Ryan seemed happy and he wasn't half bad, so Elesis supposed it was okay he played.

And then came the newcomers that were new to their little group; Asin, who everyone knew was a troublemaker and ran away from home more than enough times for his young age and currently lived at Jin's house, eating him out of house and home. Jin had insisted Asin play to gain more friends and perhaps stay, but everyone highly doubted that, even if they wouldn't say it to his face.

After Asin came Lime, a much fresher presence in the grand home. The daughter of the local police force leader, the Holy Knights, Lime's one and only dream was to take over her father's position. She loved justice and was often found breaking up fights, most commonly between Sieghart and Dio.

And then there was Edel. Her father was Lime's father's superior and the two girls had known each other almost from birth—heck, they had been born at the same hospital—and were almost attached at the hip. Edel had a brother, Adel, who was often sick at home, so Edel hung out with Lime, and then, of course, with Elesis' group once they had gotten to know each other.

Now that the whole group had gathered, Elesis had complaints. With such a big group, how would they play the game, which was a tiny board with even tinier squares to play?

Sieghart had comforted his younger cousin—sibling, more like it, they were always together—by telling her that they could band together as a mighty group that helped the country and were renowed heroes.

To that Dio had snorted and told them that there were no heroes in life, that justice didn't exist. Edel and Lime got up immediately, looking absolutely furious and ready to rip Dio apart, but Rufus gently touched Lime's shoulder and the annoyed girl sat down, flicking her yellow-green ponytails.

Edel was not easily calmed, the girl was steady as rain when normal, but a storm when angered. In the end they'd promised her an entire island as well as honour to her family to get her to sit down, to which Elesis grumbled on for hours.

She grabbed the first piece, a sword, it seemed. "I'm Elesis Sieghart, an awesome knight from Kanavan," she pointed to the imaginary place on the map and grinned. "And I lead the Ruby Knights, as well as this group." She looked around, as if daring anyone to oppose her.

No one said anything, so Elesis sat down and smiled. Next to her, quiet Lire gently took the bow.

"I happen to be an excellent archer in real life," she told everyone, "so why not here? I'll be Lire Eyruell, elf master of arrows."

"Why elf?" Ley had questioned, lazily stretching back and using both Dio and Zero as pillows.

Arme rolled her eyes. "Because everyone knows elves make the best archers!"

"You've been reading too much Lord of the Rings," Lass called out, resulting in a glare and light punch from Arme.

"Just go," Ronan sighed.

Arme picked up the staff. "I want to be a magician! We have all the cool spells."

"You die so easily though," Jin, having played enough video games, sniggered.

Arme flushed. "Shut up! It doesn't have to be that way here!"

Lass smirked. "Yes it does."

And they continued bickering as the evening stretched on, and soon turned into night.

"Elesis! Sieghart!" Sieghart's mother, Julia, a beautiful lady with flowing red hair like Elesis', called from the kitchen. All of the kids came dashing in, and she took one look at them before sighing. "Is everyone here?" She pretended to be angry and counted them all slowly on her fingers.

"Hurry up! I wanna eat!" Elesis told her, stomping her foot.

"Now now Elesis, be patient! Children, I'll call your parents to pick you up after you've stayed for dinner. No buts! Now, what do you want to eat?"

Almost everyone shouted "Pizza!" Apart from Ryan, who whispered quietly., "Vegetables, please."

Julia looked at Ryan. "Why, Ryan, don't you want pizza?"

Ryan shook his head slowly. "Dad says if I have something that's not directly from nature, he'll whip me again."

Julia pursed her lips. "None of that. He isn't here tonight, and everyone should have a treat once in a while." She turned back to the other kids, all waiting with wide eyes, and smiled. "Cheesy pizza for all!" she announced.

A great cheer went up as little feet pitter-pattered across the wooden floors to be the first to wash their hands. Dio, Sieghart, Zero, Ley, and Rufus followed slowly after the younger kids, trying to look not as excited as them.

Dinner went as usual—that is, as usual as it can get with eighteen children and one adult. Elesis spilled her pizza onto Sieg, Ryan picked delicately at his until Lire told him to man up and eat it, Rin was knocked over by Dio and flew into Asin's lap, to which the male jumped and shuffled away to Jin's side, but Jin was too busy sharing with Amy to notice the frightened other.

But the only thing that mattered was that all of them were smiling, so, so happy on that night that none of them knew what was to come.

_~Aernas~_

The next day they resumed playing Grand Chase—that was the name of the game, a crazy named invented by a crazier lady—and they went into battle, won, and repeated.

Dio, Ley, Rufus, Zero and Sieghart had refused to be part of the children's team, and so Dio and Ley had decided to become demons, Rufus a half-half wandering rouge, Zero a sword-wielding masked mysterious wanderer, and Sieg a lazy immortal that hardly did anything.

Once, playing, Dio and Sieghart had gotten into a fight, and Ryan had joked that their in-game characters were fighting too. Since Dio won, they had decided Sieghart the Immortal was as dead as being immortal could get, and so Sieg went a day without playing, sulking and licking his wounds and wounded pride.

_Why hadn't they realized?_

There was something so horribly wrong for children to be playing a game obviously made for adults, a game where people slaughtered monsters endlessly and without second thought, where Lass had gotten captured and tormented by monster named Kaze'aze until he couldn't remember his own name, a game where Edel had lost her home, her family, a game where Rin was overcome by darkness and Rufus lost his arm. They were only playing, they told themselves, but attempting to convince each other of something wasn't the same as actually happening.

For reality and fantasy can so easily slip in between strands woven into everyday living, and when Rufus had his accident, and Lass met a lady in town that was named Karina, Karina Kaze'aze, they realized that the game was cursed.

* * *

_Whew! I finished this at 2:00 AM. _

_Either way, how did you like it? Please read and review, it would make me very happy! _


End file.
